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March 2006 -    Chris James and John Smith, pictured here with Executive Director Charlene Crump, issued a check to Mary Lee Foundation to finalize the needs of our developing computer lab upgrade.

Computer classes began this month and are a huge success with more than twenty participants. The classes and lab updates are spearheaded by volunteers from the University Avenue Church of Christ. Don Stence and the other volunteers from UACC have worked tirelessly to pull this project together. In-Kind, Inc. and The Westlake Presbyterian Church have also partnered with Mary Lee Foundation to make this happen. Students include Katrina victims, homeless mothers with children, and the disabled as well as several Mary Lee Community staff. A special thank you is extended to all of the contributors and volunteers.

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The annual Sinclair Children's Center Charity Golf Classic was a huge success again this year.

The four man scramble was held on April 8, 2006 with all proceeds benefiting the program and personal needs of the children of the Residential Treatment and Basic Child Care programs of Sinclair Children's Center.

Twenty teams participated in the tournament with each competing for over $100,000.00 in cash and prizes.  Every team that entered was awarded a team prize whether they finished first or last in the tournament.  Golf packages from across Texas were team prizes.  Some of them included Barton Creek in Austin, Tapatio Springs Resort in San Antonio, Garden Valley Golf Resort in Tyler, Brentwood Country Club in Beaumont, and many, many more. Individual prizes were awarded for both the morning and afternoon flight meaning all golfers walked away with a prize.  High light of the individual prizes were the hole-n-one prizes of $50,000 & $30,000.  Unfortunately, no one won either of the hole-n-one prizes, but, there's always next year.

Thanks to the sponsors, volunteers, players, and staff of Sinclair Children's Center over $10,000.00 was raised.  This money is greatly needed to help cover the living expenses and program needs of up to 51 children who reside at the center.

We look forward to seeing you next year.  Come play a round for the kids.

Tony Castillo
Program Administrator

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Randalls offers customers a way to direct donation dollars to their favorite church, school or other non-profit organization. Since the program began in the fall of 1996, Randalls and Tom Thumb have donated more than $20 million to over 7500 participating organizations. Through the Good Neighbor Program, organizations sign up to have an exclusive account number. Members of an organization can then link the account number to their Remarkable cards. You can link your favorite participating charity to your Remarkable card by completing a Remarkable Application Form at any Courtesy Booth. Fill in the top portion and the "Good Neighbor Program" section, indicating what account number to link to your card.    Please take to link your Randalls Remarkable Card to the Mary Lee Foundation. 

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MARY LEE CONTINUUM OF CARE ON TRACK
A major goal of the Mary Lee Foundation continues to be to create a continuum of care which will enable adults to "age in place."  Currently, Mary Lee adult programs serve persons age eighteen and above. To complete this continuum of care, housing for the elderly and a nursing facility are needed. Rehabilitation of a twenty-two unit apartment complex is expected to begin in the next few weeks which will house low income elderly persons. This project should be completed sometime in August. Persons who are eligible for this project must be age sixty-two or above and must meet certain income requirements. Financing for this project, called The Flagship, comes from Section 202 of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The contractor is Trinity Construction. Here is a before picture of 1312 Lamar Square Drive. When this new project is complete we still have spectacular after pictures to show the incredible improvements. 

 

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Using Gardening as Therapy; it soothes the soul, spirit, and mind.

Mainly, we're talking about people tending to gardens, and in the process, tending to themselves, whether physically, emotionally or spiritually.

Most of us probably don't need such formal therapy. We have our plants by the window, out on the porch, in our offices, or we walk in a park or on a tree-lined street and we feel refreshed.  It's important to buy flowers, shrubs, and trees to beautify your home, neighborhood, and city. Have you ever been given tomatoes from a neighbor or friend? The time and effort it took for them to produce those dozen or so tomatoes, peppers, or what ever they gave to you probably was pleasant. Giving is the satisfaction, joy and fulfillment which is felt from knowing that your action has, in some way, empowered, contributed to, and made a difference in your own life as well as another's.  Nature is good for all of us. This is why hospitals develop healing gardens for patients. It's why people go to botanical gardens for therapy -- to work the soil, and clear their minds. The therapeutic benefits of gardening have been well documented for some time now. Formal programs called horticultural therapy recognize and use the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of gardening to help their patients.  While the Mary Lee Foundation does not have a structured program of therapeutic gardening at this time, quite a few of our clients from different programs do enjoy gardening on a regular basis.  A life of good health and wellbeing can be achieved by embracing the simplest of fundamental elements found in nature. Just as an animal, a plant, or tree requires the right air, nutrition, water, and sunlight for optimum health, so do we.

 

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